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CSF phosphorylated tau as an indicator of subsequent tau accumulation
Cogswell PM, Wiste HJ, Mielke MM, Schwarz CG, Weigand SD, Lowe VJ, Therneau TM, Knopman DS et al.. Neurobiology of aging, 2022-05-26
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
We evaluated the relationship between baseline CSF p-tau181 and the rate of tau PET change in the temporal meta-ROI and entorhinal cortex (ERC) and how it varied by amyloid level (CSF Aβ42 or amyloid PET) among 143 individuals from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging and Mayo Alzheimer Disease Research Center. Higher CSF p-tau181, lower CSF Aβ42, and higher amyloid PET levels were associated with faster rates of tau PET change in both the temporal meta-ROI and ERC. In the temporal meta-ROI, longitudinal tau PET accumulation occurred primarily in participants with abnormal biomarker levels and a diagnosis of dementia, which supports the hypothesis that tau aggregation begins later in the disease process. Compared to the temporal meta-ROI, the ERC showed greater change in tau PET in non-demented participants but less change in later disease stages, supporting ERC as a more sensitive marker of early tau PET changes but with less dynamic range over the disease spectrum. We found both amyloid and CSF p-tau181 were associated with rates of tau PET change but there were some differences in associations by region, amyloid biomarker, and disease stage.
Key findings
- Higher CSF p-tau181, lower CSF Aβ42, and higher amyloid PET levels were associated with faster rates of tau PET change in both the temporal meta-ROI and ERC.
- Compared to the temporal meta-ROI, the ERC showed greater change in tau PET in non-demented participants but less change in later disease stages, supporting ERC as a more sensitive marker of early tau PET changes but with less dynamic range over the disease spectrum.
- We found both amyloid and CSF p-tau181 were associated with rates of tau PET change but there were some differences in associations by region, amyloid biomarker, and disease stage.
Why it matters
Among 143 people, higher CSF p-tau181 and amyloid markers were linked to faster tau PET accumulation, with the entorhinal cortex changing more in non-demented participants. This is an observational imaging study and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants143
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neurobiology of aging) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Neurobiology of Aging: journal h-index 263 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 143 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 6 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.0 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Clifford R. Jack: h-index 203 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Mayo Clinic: institution h-index 1,606 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 35764037) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.02.015
- PubMed: 35764037
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Cogswell, P. M., Wiste, H. J., Mielke, M. M., Schwarz, C. G., Weigand, S. D., Lowe, V. J., et al. (2022). CSF phosphorylated tau as an indicator of subsequent tau accumulation. Neurobiology of aging. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.02.015
Vancouver
Cogswell PM, Wiste HJ, Mielke MM, Schwarz CG, Weigand SD, Lowe VJ, et al. CSF phosphorylated tau as an indicator of subsequent tau accumulation. Neurobiology of aging. 2022. doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.02.015. PMID: 35764037.
BibTeX
@article{cogswell2022-35764037,
author = {Cogswell, P. M. and Wiste, H. J. and Mielke, M. M. and Schwarz, C. G. and Weigand, S. D. and Lowe, V. J. and Therneau, T. M. and Knopman, D. S. and others},
title = {{CSF phosphorylated tau as an indicator of subsequent tau accumulation}},
journal = {Neurobiology of aging},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.02.015},
pmid = {35764037},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.02.015}
}
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